Can-opener.



H. TILL.

DAN OPENER.

APPLIOATIOII rum our. 10, 1912.

1,098,648, Patented June 2, 191';

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HENRY TILL, 015 LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

CAN-OPENER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 2, 1914.

Applicationfiled October 10, 1912. Serial No. 725,096.

To (1 whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY TILL, citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Can-Openers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in attached can opening devices, and is designed primarily for use in conjunction with the ordinary type of condensed milk and cream cans. ln opening such cans, it is custernary to punch two holes in the top of the can by the use of a nail, ice pick, or some other sharp pointed instrument. Not only is this method inconvenient but the contents of the can are liable to become contaminated by dirt upon the instrument used. Aside from this it is no easy matter to seal the openings after a portion of the contents have been, poured from the can when the latter is to be put away for future use, for the openings are not of a size to receive a bottle cork, nor are they as a usual thing regular. It is well known that the openings made in the top of the can must be made zit-diametrically opposite points in order that the liquid may flow freely from the can.

I am aware of the fact that it has been proposed to employ, as a means for preparing cans of the type above mentioned, a device consisting of a strip which is entirely separate from the can and which carries piercing points arranged to pierce the top of the can when the strip is pressed down upon the top. it is not convenient, however, to place such an opening device on the market with each can, and besides an opener of this type is too expensive to manufacture for distribution-in such manner. constructed as above pointed out, although arranged for attachment to a can, could not be shipped applied, for the simple reason that its piercing points would rest directly against the top oi the can and one can could not be disposed upon another without likelihood of forcing the piercing points into the undermost can-top.

lhe present invention contemplates the provision oil an attached opening device for cans, which device will normally assume such a position as to permit of the cans to which it is applied. being stacked one upon another and side by side and which maybe manufactured and applied to the can at an extremely low cost.

An opener The invention also aims to provide an opening device which may be readily and quickly manipulated so as to punch openlngs 1n the top of the can to which it is applied and which may be subsequently em- 'ployed as a means for sealing or closing these openings so as to prevent the entrance of dust and dirt into the can and to prevent clogging of the openings.

In devices of this general type, as previously constructed, the piercing points are formed separate from the strip by which they are carried and are riveted or otherwise secured to the strip. The present invention therefore contemplates forming the strip and the piercing points from a single piece of sheet metal stamped and bent to the required form.

The invention also contemplates providing a simple and inexpensive means for attaching the strips which carry the piercing points.

For a full understanding of the invention reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of the clevice embodying the present invention applied to the top of a can. Fig. 2 is a top plan view, the parts of the device being illus trated in their normal positions. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but illustrating the parts in position for manipulation to pierce openings in vertical transverse sectional view on the line l--l of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a similar view on the line 55 of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one of the piercing members. Fig. 7 is a plan view of a portion of the blank from which this member is formed, the blank being illustrated in its initially folded condition. Fig. 8 is a bottom plan view of the member shown in Fig. 6,.and illustrating the blank shown in Fig. 7 after it has been finally bent to form the piercing member.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawing by the same reference characters.

In the drawing, the top of the can is indicated by the numeral 1, and this top is formed centrally with a depression 2 which is preferably circular in outline and is located at one side of the center of the said top. Disposed within the depression 2 and soldered or otherwise secured therein is an attaching disk 3 of sheet-metal.

There are provided two of the piercing members above mentioned, and each of these members consists essentially of a sheet-metal strip 6 which is relatively narrow and preferably of slightly stouter material than the can top 1. Each of the strips 6 is formed adjacent one end with an opening 7 and in connecting the strips with the can top, or more specifically with the attaching disk 3, a rivet 4 is secured through the openings 7 in the strips and through the disk 3. Each of the piercing members, in blank form, has its opposite ends pivoted and stamped or cut to form a triangular portion indicated by the numeral 8 in Fig. 7 of the drawing, the blank at the base line of this portion bein formed with slits 9 which extend inwar 1y a short distance from the lateral edges of the strip and are in alinement transversely of the strip.

In forming up the blank, the side portions of the part 8 are bent so as to bring the lateral edges of the said portion into contact with each other, whereupon a conical piercing point 10 will be produced, the base of the point resting against the under side of the strip.

By referring to Figs. 4, 5, and 6 of the drawings, it will be observed that the strip is folded upon itself as at 11, ad acent to the s1its9 sothat in the structure of .the completed piercing member the piercin point 10 will be located inwardly of the old 11, or in-other words inward of the true free extremity of the strip. Furthermore it will be understood that inasmuch as the base of the point 10 bears against the folded over portion of the strip, the strip at that point at which pressure is to be applied, is reinforced.

As has before been pointed out the pivot for the piercing members 6 is located eccentrically to the axis of the can top and the distance between this pivot and the sides of the piercing points, whichare presented toward the ivot, is such that when the piercing mem bers are. in the position shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing, the piercing points will project downwardly beside the top of the can. and the strips will rest practically flat upon the upper surface of the top. -By reason of this construction, one can may be packed on another, and inasmuch as the free extremities of strip do not project a considerable distance beyond the outer surface of the can, the cans may be packed side by side.

It will be seen by referring to Fig. 3 of the drawing that when the piercing members are swung upon their pivot 4 to the left in Fig. 2 of the drawing, the piercing points of the members will in their movement describe an arc substantially as shown in dotted lines in the said Fig. 3 and may finally be brought to position hearing at diametrically opposite points against the upper surface of the can top. After the piercing'members have been moved to assume this position, the can may be inverted and disposed upon a table, or the like, and downward pressure exerted upon it, whereupon the piercing points will be forced through the top of the can, or if desired, pressure may be exerted by ones thumb against the ends of the strips 6 above the piercing points. The portions of the strips beyond the piercing points constitute fingerpieces, indicated specifically by the numeral 12 and these finger-pieces project beyond the periphery of the can top when the piercing members are in the position shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing. As a consequence, after the points have been forced-through the top of the can, the finger may be engaged beneath the finger piece and the point-carrying ends of the strips maybe lifted and the strips then swung upon their pivots to again assume about the position shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing. When the desired quantity of milk or the like, has been poured from the can and it is desired to set the can away for future use, the piercing members are again swung to the position shown in Fig. 3 and their piercing points are fitted into the openings formed as above described.

It will be observed from inspection of the drawing that each of the piercing points is formed adjacent its base with a circumferentially extending groove 13, and by referring particularly to Fig. 5 it will be noted that when the piercing point is fitted into the opening in the-can-top the wall of the opening will engage with the groove 13 and the point will be securely held against being accidentally disengaged from the opening which will be liable to occur were it not for the provision of the groove and should the strip have a tendency to spring up after being pressed. down to insert the points.

From the foregoing description of the invention it will be seen that there is provided an opening device for cans, which may be placed upon the market attached to the can without in any way interfering with packing of the cans in the usual manner and which may be readily and quickly manipulated to form openings in the top of the can to permit of the pouring of its contents and .it will further be seen that the device constitutes also an efficient means for sealing or closing the openings so as to exclude dust and dirt from the contents of the can and prevent clo ging of the openings.

Having t us described the invention what is claimed as new is 1. The combination with a container, of an opener thgrefor including a member pivoted upon the top of the container and carrying a piercing point, the pivot point about which the member moves being located eccentrically of the said top of the container.

2. The combination with a container, of an opener therefor including a member pivoted upon the top of the container and carryinga piercing point, the pivot point about which the member moves being located eccentrically of the said top and the pivot supporting the member for movement angularly above the surface of the top and approxin'iately parallel thereto.

3. The combination with a container, of an opener therefor including a pivot upon the top of the container, the axis of the pivot being parallel to the axis of the said top and eccentric thereto, and members mounted upon the pivot for swinging movement above the top and carrying each a piercing point.

4. The combination with a container, of an opener therefor including strips pivoted cccentrically upon the top of the container and each of a length less than the distance between the pivot for the strips and the more remote side of the said top, the said strips being provided each with a piercing point.

5. The combination with a container, of an opener therefor including a strip pivoted upon the top of the container, the strip near its free end being folded back upon itself and having its terminal portion bent to form a substantially conical piercing point.

6. The combination with a container, of an opener therefor including a strip pivoted upon the top 0f the container, thestrip near its free end being folded back upon itself and having its terminal portion bent to form a substantially conical piercing point, and the piercing point being formed with a circumferentially extending unobstructed.

groove.

7. An opener for cans formed from a single strip of metal folded upon itself at one end and provided beyond said folded end with a V-shaped cleft and with inwardly formed slits, a portion of the strip defined by the cleft being bent laterally and into the form of an inverted cone, the base of which bears against the lower face of the strip.

8. An 0 ener for cans formed from a strip of metal folded upon itself at one end and having said folded end refolded and bent to form a conical piercing member, the base of which bears against the folded end, being less in diameter than the width of such end.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY TILL. a 5.]

Witnesses:

' A. W. KASTNER,

J. SHULrIs. 

